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"The Guyana Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Progress Report 2011 is a key monitoring instrument to access various socio-economic policies. The overall aim of the Report is to track and analyse the country's progress towards the achievement of the MDGs, but on a wider level, it serves as a report on national efforts to reduce poverty.

The Guyana Diabetic Association (GDA) is a volunteer non-profit organisation which was formed in November 1969 by a group of concerned diabetics and has the following broad objectives:

To provide a forum where diabetics could air their concerns and offer each other moral spiritual and emotional support to grapple with the complaint

To educate its members about matters of a non-technical nature and to provide them with skills which could assist them in coping with the condition on a day-to-day basis.

The association, which began as a study and teaching group operated with the theme:

As a diabetic how much do I know about diabetes?.

Lectures and discussions were given/ held on suitable diets for the diabetic, care of the eyes, feet and teeth. Information about welfare matters, medication and their effects, as well as other effects the condition could have on the body, if the diabetic condition is not controlled was also provided. Additionally information about the importance of exercise in the management of diabetes and the type of exercise to be done by a diabetic were also provided.

The association has a small but active membership operating in the central Georgetown and its environs. Membership is not limited to diabetics but is extended to all persons who have an interest in the malady. Registered March, 16 1973 as the Guyana Diabetic Association is a member of the Diabetic Association of the Caribbean IDACI, which is affiliated to the North American Council INACI a subsidiary of The International Diabetes Federation [IDF].

Statutory meetings are held on the last Wednesday of every month at the Nurses Association Hall Charlotte and Alexander Streets from 5:00 p.m. During these meetings there is a business session followed by an education session. The education sessions are conducted by guest speakers with expertise in various aspects of the management of diabetes.

Introduction
HIV/AIDS is the biggest public health challenge of our time. More than 40 million people are currently infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. In the last five years, 3 million people have died each year from AIDS-related illnesses.

"â€¦the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, through its devastating scale and impact, constitutes a global emergency and one of the most formidable challenges to human life and dignity, as well as to the effective enjoyment of human rights."
UNGASS: Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS.

HIV/AIDS affects everyone in every region and the response to the pandemic is global. National responses are increasingly determined by global health initiatives and guidelines, and financed by developed countries in the North and international agencies. HIV/AIDS is primarily a disease of poverty, its spread is intricately linked to the wider inequalities of poverty and gender, and it disproportionately affects the most marginal and disempowered. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimates that 90 per cent of people living with HIV/AIDS are living in the global South.(3) Once infected, people living with HIV and AIDS face further marginalization and discrimination because of the extreme stigma associated with the disease.

HIV/AIDS is heavily affecting the Caribbean region and its population. Only sub-Saharan Africa has a higher percentage of its population living with HIV/AIDS. According to UNAIDS, AIDS is now the leading cause of death in men and women between the ages of 15 and 44 living in the Caribbean.(4) The main mode of transmission is through heterosexual intercourse. Infection rates currently stand at an estimated 2.3 per cent. However, despite successes in some countries, the epidemics in many Caribbean countries are growing.(5) The total number of people living with the virus in the region is estimated to be 300,000, with 30,000 people becoming infected in 2005. (6)

This report is based on the findings of Amnesty International (AI) research into the connection between human rights violations and HIV/AIDS in two countries in the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic and Guyana. It shows how abuses of civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights increase peopleâ€™s risk of HIV infection. It also shows how those affected by HIV/AIDS are denied their human rights.

These findings highlight the close interrelationship between human rights and HIV/AIDS, a theme reflected in AIâ€™s recommendations which focus on the need for comprehensive rights-based approaches to HIV/AIDS in all areas of prevention, treatment, care and support.

AI believes that this is a crucial time in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Countries are scaling up efforts for universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support in an attempt to fulfil the critical international commitments in these areas.(7) At this time of increased political momentum, AI believes that it is vital to establish the relevance of respect for human rights in these initiatives and endeavours.

Introduction
HIV/AIDS is the biggest public health challenge of our time. More than 40 million people are currently infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. In the last five years, 3 million people have died each year from AIDS-related illnesses.

"…the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, through its devastating scale and impact, constitutes a global emergency and one of the most formidable challenges to human life and dignity, as well as to the effective enjoyment of human rights."
UNGASS: Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS.

Published by the Guyana Human Rights Association - June 2006
This report focusses on reform of rape laws and related legal processes. It identifies several key actions and recommendations so as to reverse the epidemic of sexual violence in Guyana.
This report was written by Laura Gyte for the GHRA as part of a larger campaign against sexual violence, being conducted by the GHRA in conjunction with the Age of Consent Coalition, with some assistance from the CIDA Gender Equity Fund in Guyana.
The report can be obtained from the GHRA Office at 56 B Hadfield Street, Georgetown, Guyana Tel 226-1789 , email ghra_guy at networksgy.com
See also Without Conviction: Sexual Violence in the Guyana Justice Process

Content Type:
Document

Description:

Published by the Guyana Human Rights Association - June 2006
This report focusses on reform of rape laws and related legal processes. It identifies several key actions and recommendations so as to reverse the epidemic of sexual violence in Guyana.
This report was written by Laura Gyte for the GHRA as part of a larger campaign against sexual violence, being conducted by the GHRA in conjunction with the Age of Consent Coalition, with some assistance from the CIDA Gender Equity Fund in Guyana.
The report can be obtained from the GHRA Office at 56 B Hadfield Street, Georgetown, Guyana Tel 226-1789 , email ghra_guy at networksgy.com
See also Without Conviction: Sexual Violence in the Guyana Justice Process

Introduction
Important progress has been made in recent years to expand policy, programs and support to address the needs of persons with disabilities in Guyana through the further development of sector specific projects focusing largely on rehabilitation and education. But important and pressing challenges still remain to be addressed. Persons with disabilities are often the most disadvantaged of all groups in society. Many do not have access to education and employment which leads to social and economic exclusion. Persons with disabilities are often trapped in a cycle of poverty and disability; each being a cause and consequence of one another.

Further work is required to deal with the challenges and realities facing those living with a disability in Guyana. Equal opportunities for persons with disabilities have to be created through investments in education, health, social care, employment, and recreational sectors to allow persons with disabilities to lead full and productive lives. Similarly a holistic approach, addressing the perceptions of disability as well as related policies, is required to ensure successful integration of persons with disabilities.

Approaches to tackling the restrictions imposed upon persons with disabilities must be multi-disciplinary and multi-dimensional. A dual approach to disability is required: activities should be designed to address the particular needs of persons with disabilities through sector specific projects; and, the needs of persons with disabilities should be considered within the planning framework of any program to ensure the needs of persons with disabilities are met within any programmes target population.

This report is the outcome of a survey designed to create a detailed profile of persons with disabilities in Guyana. This has enabled a recommended action plan to be developed, identifying future priorities that can be used to target assistance (policy, programs and services) for persons living with disabilities in Guyana.

The complete report is available from the National Commission on Disability, Croal Street or email ncd@guyana.net.gy
This was sponsored by the Office of the President, UNICEF and VSO.

Description:

Introduction
Important progress has been made in recent years to expand policy, programs and support to address the needs of persons with disabilities in Guyana through the further development of sector specific projects focusing largely on rehabilitation and education. But important and pressing challenges still remain to be addressed. Persons with disabilities are often the most disadvantaged of all groups in society. Many do not have access to education and employment which leads to social and economic exclusion. Persons with disabilities are often trapped in a cycle of poverty and disability; each being a cause and consequence of one another.

When mothers survive and thrive, their children also survive, and the societies in which they live prosper.
The promotion of healthy mothers and children involves the synergistic effect of combined well-known and effective interventions, including policies that raise womenâ€™s and childrenâ€™s social and economic status; involvement from families and communities; education for all; universal access to basic health and care, improvement of health status; improvement of nutritional status; access to family planning services; ensuring skilled attendance during childbirth for normal care and the management of complications; and adequate neonatal and child health care.

When mothers survive and thrive, their children also survive, and the societies in which they live prosper.
The promotion of healthy mothers and children involves the synergistic effect of combined well-known and effective interventions, including policies that raise women’s and children’s social and economic status; involvement from families and communities; education for all; universal access to basic health and care, improvement of health status; improvement of nutritional status; access to family planning services; ensuring skilled attendance during childbirth for normal care and the management of complications; and adequate neonatal and child health care.